Sheet feeding and counting assembly



Jun 3, 1958 v. JEZIERSKI SHEET FEEDING AND COUNTING ASSEMBLY 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 19, 1955 INVENTQR. V/cm? JZ'Z/EESK/ BY Q g i June 3, 1958 v. JEZIERSKI 298379016 SHEET FEEDING AND COUNTING ASSEMBLY Filed May 19, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I l I l x l IN VEN TOR. l// cro/z I J22 /ESK/ BY%OQGWAY June 3, 1958 v. JEilERSKl 2,837,016

SHEET FEEDING AND COUNTING ASSEMBLY Filed May 19, 1955 s'sheets-sneet 4' IN V EN TOR. V/ 070k J52 /EKSK/ BY @wlxiDW AUUEWEV June 3, 1958 v. JEZIERSKI SHEET FEEDING AND COUNTING ASSEMBLY 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 19, 1955 M R w my N E fi m 1 N 6 AD V B SHEET FEEDING AND QOUNTENG a sert rarer Victor Jezierski, West New York,-N. 3., assignor to Federal Carton Corporation, Inc, North Bergen, N. 3., a corporation of New Y or Application May 19, 1955, Serial No. 569,57

This invention relates to mechanism for counting and placing permanent count indicating signals in a sheet stack at predetermined count positions.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a counting and count-signal supplying mechanism for association with any type of machine from which sheets are delivered and stacked.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a mechanism or" this type which will indicate and incorporate as a physical part of a sheet stack count-signals which will indicate the number of sheets in the stack and the number of rows of subdivisions or blanks contained in each sheet.

A still more specific object of the invention is to provide it mechanism to automatically feed one or more countsignals in the form of tapes, to the top of a stack at predetermined count intervals, and incorporate them in the stack as visible signals indicating either the number of sheets in the stack in groups and the number of rows of carton blanks in each group.

Other and more detailed objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the embodiment thereof set out in the attached drawings as illustrative.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view with some details omitted of the mechanism at the discharge end of a sheet delivering machine illustrating the general arrangement or" this invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a sheet stack with the count-signals of this invention incorporated therein by the mechanism of this invention;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail plan view of a portion of the signal strip feeding mechanism showing some parts in cross-section;

Figure 4 is a side elevational View of one of the signal strip feeding devices;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5+5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a view of the tape signal feeding device of Figure 4 shown from the other side;

Figure 6A is a detail view on the line 6A6A of Figure 6;

Figure 7 is a detailed elevational view taken from the plane 7-7 of Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a combination diagrammatic and schematic illustration of the ele'ctro-mechanical assembly of this invention.

This invention will be described in connection with a printing press of the type commonly used to print carton blanks which are united in a large sheet of carton material,- and wherein the carton blanks are arranged in a number of parallel rows and are connected by weakened tear lines so that they can be easily separated from the sheet. In accordance with common practice in this art, a plurality of carton blanks insingle sheets are simultaneously printed, and the sheets are delivered from the machine and formed into a stack usually on a pallet,

' act red until the desired number of them have been stacked, in a single vertically aligned pile.

Heretofore, it has been difdcult to provide any form of count-signals for such a stack which will withstand further handling and processing without becoming disarranged or lost. Practice frequently requires that one be able to remove a section of the carton blanks from the main stack, in exact known quantity, to fill a particular job, to the end that there will not be a shortage or excess of carton blanks for the particular job. For example, it is common practice in the packaging art to separate groups of these carton blanks, from such a stack, by ieans of pneumatic hammers which, properly used, break the blanks ofi in groups to be used in packaging.

Any prior count-signal systems, known to me, which have been used, have not insured that the count-signals can be relied upon to survive normal handling and processing of sheet stacks.

it can be said, therefore, the general purpose of this invention is to provide a counting assembly which can be associated with various types of sheet supply and stacking machines, which will provide for applying to the stack one or more physical count-signals in accordance with any desired prearranged count, automatically and in cooperation with the stacking machine. The true nature of the invention and its capabilities will best be understood after describing in detail the practical embodiment of the invention illustrated in the attached drawings.

leterring first to Figure 1, there is indicated generally at 19 the discharge end of any type of machine from which sheets to be stacked are delivered. For the purposes of this invention it will be assumed that the machine it) is a printing machine having a printing assembly including the printing roll 12 by means of which the various designs and printing is applied to the sheet. The full value of this invention is obtained in machines which print on carton blanks which are arranged in a plurality of rows to form a sheet and interconnected with weakened tear lines. The top sheet SH of the stack S, shown in Figure 2 for example, has been divided by broken lines to indicate the tear lines defining the individual carton blanks. As shown the completed stack, which is usually formed on a transportable pallet P, will have three longitudinal sections S, S and S In the particular form shown it will also have three transverse sections so that each sheet is composed of nine carton blanks.

These sheets, as is common in the art, are printed one at a time as they pass through the printing assembly and are brought into contact with the rotatable printing roll 12.

The printed sheets are delivered from the printing assembly to a reciprocable carriage which carries them across the top of the stack and positions them on it in vertical alignment. The sheets are stacked on the pallet l, which is suspended by a known lowering mechanism, not shown, so that as the stack builds up the pallet moves down until the stack is completed. The reciprocable carriage, also well known in the art, forms a part of the printing, stacking or any other type of sheet processing machine. This broadened viewpoint is included because as the description goes forward it will be apparent that the subject matter of this invention is not limited to application to a printing machine.

The delivery and stack feeding assembly includes a pair of suitably supported rails 18 which are crossconnected at their forward ends by means of the bar 2%. Reciprocable on these rails is a carriage which includes a pair of side frame members 26 cross-connected at the rear by a brace 23 and at their forward ends by means of a shaft 31, Figure 3, which is rotatable and has mounted thereon a smoothing roller 32 which engages the topmost sheet on the stack on each reciprocation and smooths it down. This carriage is caused to be reciprocated by means of pairs of pivotally interconnected links 24 caused to reciprocate, with proper timing, back and forth by' means of a drive shaft 22 through mechanism (not shown) forming part of the press.

It is again emphasized that the press or other processing machine and the delivery mechanism for receiving sheets one at a time and placing them on the pile are well known in the art and form no part of this invention.

For review it is noted that, as each multi-carton-blank sheet is printed, it is delivered to the carton'stacking mechanism, picked up by it, carried to a position over the top of the stack S, dropped onto it and smoothed down by the pressure roller 32, each time the delivery carriage reciprocates back and forth on the rails 13.

The purpose of this invention is to deposit at predetermined intervals, onto the topmost sheet on the stack a plurality of count-signals CS, which in the form illustrated are simply plain strips of paper. In the case illustrated, where each sheet has three longitudinal rows of carton blanks, three of these strips C are applied, as clearly indicated in Figure 2. They are applied so that their ends project beyond the sides of the stack S and are applied at predetermined intervals so that for example 100, 200, or whatever desired number of sheets are within the vertical height between any vertically adjacent pair of strip sets CS. These count-strips CS become a permanent part of each stack as it is formed and go with the stack as it is transported on the pallet for .warehousing or further processing.

This invention is concerned with mechanism for automatically and periodically applying the count signals CS to the stack.

In accordance with this invention a pair of supporting rods 30 were attached to the carriage at their respective ends so as to lie parallel to each other. Any suitable clamp assembly 34 may be used to secure the rods 30 to the carriage side-frame members 26. These rods provide a support for one or more tape feeding devices indicated generally by the reference characters 34. As shown in Figures 4 and 6, these tape feeding devices include a frame 62 and a clamp and bolt assembly 36 by means of which they can be mounted on the rods 30, in any lateral position across the carriage path.

Also supported on these rods by means of a bolt and nut 33, see Figure 3, is an arm 40 having a bracket for supporting a clutch operating solenoid winding 42 of a clutch operating mechanism. This mechanism includes a fixed arm 48 on which a lever 46 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends. One end of the lever is pivotally connected to a plunger 44 operated by the solenoid winding 42. The other end is connected in a well known manner with the collar of a reciprocable clutch member 50 which is splined on a shaft 54 for rotation therewith. The shaft 54 extends between the side rails 26 of the carriage and is rotatably mounted, having some rotational support in a bearing 56 on the end of the arm 40. The other clutch part 52,.including sprocket 56, is rotatably mounted on bearing assembly 26 attached to frame member 26. The adjacent end of shaft 54 is journaled in the clutch part 52 which is driven from sprocket 57 by chain 55, see Figure 8. Sprocket 57 is connected to a pinion 58 which engages the fixed rack 60, mounted on the fixed carriage rails 18. The sprocket 57 and connected pinion 58 are rotatably mounted on one of the side frame members 26 in a journal bracket within the housing 16, see Figure 1. These parts are spread out in Figure 3 for clarity withthe journal bracket omitted.

The reciprocation of the carriage which carries all of.

these parts with the exception of the fixed rack 60, will cause theclutch part 52 to be rotated in a direction so that when the clutch is engaged shaft 54 will have counterclockwise rotation, as shown in Figure 8, to thereby cause similar rotation of a tape friction drive roller 68.

The shaft 54 has a series of these friction drive roll- V 4 ers 63 secured to it at various points along its length and adjustable to exact positions therealong.

The tape feeding mechanism shown in more detail in Figures 4, 5 6 and 7 consists of a suitable frame 62 provided with a pair of upwardly extending parallel arms 64, which provide a rotatable support for the roll of tape 66. The tape T is fed off this roll around a spring biased bell crank arm 63 pivotally mounted at 65 on the base 62 and provided with rollers at the ends of the arm. The arm is biased by a spring to be urged ina clockwise direction, Figure 4. The tape passes around these rollers as shown, and thence to a guide roller 72 and an eccentricaily mounted roller 74. The rollers 72 and 74 are rotatably mounted on studs secured in the base 62. They are friction rollers and are positioned to allow free forward feed of the tape and to grip the tape and prevent it from being pulled backwardly by the spring biased take-up bell crank lever 63 on interruption of the feeding movement of the tape, aswill be explained later.

From there the tape T passes between the driven friction roller 68 on the. shaft 54 and a cooperating friction roller 76 which is mounted on a crank arm comprising a pair of eccentrically mounted stud shafts 80 and 82. As shown in Figure 5, the roller 76 is mounted by means of an antifriction bearing 78 on the stud 80. The other arm 32 of the crank pin is journaled in a bearing in the frame 62. Secured to the ends of the crank pin 82 is a bevel gear 84 which cooperates with the bevel gear 86 mounted on shaft 88.

The shaft 88 is journaled in bearing supporting brackets secured on the side of the base 62, as is clear in Figure 6 Taken with Figure 6A it will be seen that a pinion 90 on the shaft 88 meshes with idler pinion 91 journaled in the adjacent bearing bracket, which in turn meshes with a pinion 92 secured to a shaft 94. The intermediate gear 91 is to cause the proper direction of rotation of shaft 94. Secured on the end of the base 62 is a fixed knife blade 102 disposed across the path of travel of the tape T between the tape guides 62, see Figure 4. Cooperating with the fixed shearing blade 102 is a movable shearing blade 96 which is secured to the shaft 94. A compression spring 100 abutting against the fixed blade 102 and engaging a collar 98 secured to the shaft 94, holds the movable blade 96 under shearing pressure against the fixed blade 102 while permitting its rotation.

Shaft 88 is connected by means of a universal or flexible coupling 104 to a shaft 106 alsomounted in bearing brackets on the base 62. As is clear from Figure 7, attached to the end of a shaft 106 is a lever 108 which has pivotal connection with the plunger 110 actuated by a solenoid winding 112 mounted on the base 62.

It is noted that the base 62 is provided with a removable cover 70 so that when a tape feeder is secured in a desired position on the rod supports 30 it can be properly positioned with'respect to the friction drive roller 68 secured to the shaft 54 at a desired position. By removing the cover 70, the tape feeder may be put in place or removed.

Referring to Figure 1, the control mechanism includes a counting device which is an electro-mechanical type of counter, itself well known as an instrument of commerce. This timing device is controlled by a micro-switch 124 which is mounted on the printing press in a position to be engaged by an actuating finger 122 best shown in Figure 8. Finger 122 is secured to the bearing housing 14 of the printing roller 12. The housing 14 is vertically movable in a frame 16 forming part of the printing press. Each time the printing roll 12 is actuated to print, a sheet finger 122 actuates the micro switch 124 to complete a circuit to the counting device .120 from one leg 126 thereof through a normally closed switch 130 to the micro-switch. The return circuit from the micro-switch passes through the actuating coil C of the electromechanical counter and returns to the other leg 12% of the current source.

In passing it may be noted; that at times it is desired to interrupt for one reason or another momentarily the actuation of the counter even with the press running. This can be accomplished by manually opening the switch 130. Everytime the coil C is energized the counting mechanism is actuated to register the passage of one sheet to the stack. The counting mechanism is provided with controls, not shown, which can be set so that upon the stacking of a predetermined number of sheets the system is actuated to cause the feeding of one or more of the tapes T onto the stack and to cut them off at the proper length, to provide the signal-strips CS. This part of the mechanism is controlled by a cam shaft 200 which is continuously rotated at the proper speed, either from the machine or in any suitable manner. Cam shaft 200 is provided with three cams A, B and C, properly positioned, angularly with respect to each other, to close in a desired time control sequence three switches 202, 204 and 206, spring biased, as shown, to be normally open.

The timing cevice includes a solenoid winding C1 connected at one side to the conductor 128 and through a normally closed switch R1 to the other circuit conductor 126. The solenoid of which C1 is a part comprises a reset mechanism for resetting the counter after counting off a preset number of sheets. Connected across the switch R1 is another switch 206 controlled by the cam C. Forming part of the electric counter unit is a normally open switch R2 which is connected to conductor 128 and by wire 214 to the cam operated switch 202. This switch is also connected by a wire to one terminal of the winding 2'20 of what may be termed the countsignal tape relay. This relay includes a single-pole switch, one fixed contact of which is connected to the other lead 218 for the relay 220. Conductor 218 connects to one terminal of the solenoid winding of the clutch relay 208. The other terminal of this winding is connected by wire 210 to one of the contacts of switch 204. Wire 218 is also connected to one of the fixed terminals of the upper single-pole switch operated by the relay 208. Wire 218 also connects to one of the contacts of switch 206 and to wire 126. One terminal of the clutch relay 42 is connected to the other terminal of the upper singlepole switch of relay 208. The other terminal of relay 42 is connected to one terminal of tape cutter relay 112. This common lead is connected by wire 216 to wire 214. The other terminal of relay 112 is connected to the other Contact of the switch of relay 220. Relay 280 includes a single-pole switch in a holding circuit which includes the wires 210 and 212 as shown. It is noted that wire 214 is connected by a branch to the other terminal of switch 204.

In the operation of this system when the circuit 126-128 is completed, the reset control winding C1 is energized through the normally closed switch R1. It is to be noted that when switch R1 is closed, switch R2 is open, but when switch R2 closes, switch R1 opens. Assuming thatthe electric counter unit is set to control the system so that a group of count-signal strips are to be delivered onto the stack, for each one hundred sheets in the stack, nothing will happen to the system, as shown in Figure 8, until 100 sheets have been placed on the stack, with the exception that as each sheet passes the roller 12, microswitch 124 will be closed and the counting winding C2 will receive a pulse to actuate the counting device. As previously mentioned, microswitch 124 closes once for each operation on each sheet, whether it be for printing, perforating, or any other operation. In the meantime the camshaft 20 is continuously rotating in timed relation to the operation of the machine 10, but it will be clear that cams A, B and C, although they operate the switches 202, 204 and 206 do not cause the system to operate because switch R1 is closed and switch '6 R2 is open. However, after the hundredth sheet is placed on the stack, mechanism (not shown) controlled by solenoid winding C2 is actuated to cause switch R1 to open and switch R2 to close. On the next rotation of shaft 200, cam B will close the switch 204. It is noted that cam B leads the three cams in timing. The closing of switch 204 completes a circuit from wire 128 through closed switch R2, wire 214, switch 204, wire 210, clutch relay 208 and back to wire 126. Relay 208 is operated to close both of its switches.

The circuit from winding 208 is now completed through wire 212 to maintain the relay operated so long as switch R2 remains closed. The upper switch of relay 208 upon closing completes a circuit from wire 214 through the clutch operator 42 and back to wire 126. The encrgization of the clutch operator 42 causes the engagement of the splined clutch member 50 with the clutch member 52 secured to the shaft 54. The mechanism is timed so that the clutch engages at the beginning of the return stroke of the carriage. As a result of the return movemcnt of the carriage to pick up the next sheet, pinion 58 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, causing counterclockwise rotation of the tape feeding friction roll 68 in an obvious manner. Thus as the carriage returns to pick up the next sheet the tabs T are fed from the tape rolls 66. The timing is such that in effect the tape stands still as the carriage moves back, with the result that the required lengths of tape are fed out above the stack S. Upon completion of the return stroke the cam A will close switch 202. This completes a circuit from wire 214 (switch R2 is still closed) through switch 202 to the relay 220 and back to circuit wire 126. The cnergiz'ation of relay 220 completes a circuit from wire 214 through wire 216, tape operator 112 to closed switch of relay 220, and by wire 218 back to circuit wire 126. Operation of the tape cutter solenoid 112 causes the movable blade 196 of the cutter to operate in an obvious manner to cut oil the fed end of the tape.

There is a tape cutting mechanism for each of the tape feeding devices 34, the operating solenoids 112 for each being connected in parallel.

Referring to Figure 6, it will be seen that in addition to operating the tape cutter the solenoid 112 acting through the bevel gears 84 and 86 will cause the pressure roller 76 to move away from the friction drive roll 86, interrupting the feed of the tape at the moment it is cut. The spring loaded bell crank 63, see Figure 4, at the same instant starts to rotate in a clockwise direction when thetapc is cut, moving the tape back, that is to the right, Figure 4, a short distance. This reverse movement causes the ecccntrically mounted guide roller 84 to pinch the tape between it and the fixed guide roller 72 so that the free end of the tape will only be withdrawn in the guides 62' a very short distance. The friction resistance in the mounting of the tape roll 66 causes it to come to rest quickly at the end of the tape feeding movement. The spring loaded bell crank 63 takes up any excess feed between the rolls 66 and the rollers 72 and 74 to keep any slack out of the tape T.

Shaft 200 is continuing to revolve, of course, with the result that upon the completion of the tape cutting operation the cam C closes switch 206. Since switch R1 is open the momentary closing of switch 206 will pulse the winding C1 to reset the counting mechanism to again count off sheets. As a part of the resetting of the counting mechanism, switch R2 opens and switch R1 closes. However, the circuit controlled by switch R2 is not complete because at this time switch 204 is open. The opening of switch R2, of course, breaks the holding circuit for the relay 208. At this time switch 202 is open.

The cams A, B and C are of course proportioned to give the proper time operation to the switches controlled thereby, and these cams are preferably adjustably mounted on the shaft 200 to provide for a practical range of adjustments.

The electric counter unit 120v can be adjusted to count ofi any desired number of sheets. The number of tape feeders 34 can be varied, depending upon thernumber of count-signal'tapes CS it is desired to feed for a particular stack.

It should be noted by reference to Figure 2 that the tapes are fed so as to project on each side of the stack so that the count-signal tapes can be observed from any position.

From the above description it Will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the details of construction and arrangement of the parts of the mechanism can be greatly varied fromthe form in which they are presented in the single'embodiment included here for illustrative purposes. Those skilled in the art can vary these details in many ways, and it is preferred, therefore, that the appended claims not be limited to the single embodiment herein illustrated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a mechanism of the type disclosed the combination with a sheet delivering and stacking machine, of

automatic means to feed a count-signal onto the sheet stack at predetermined count intervals, said sheet feeding, delivering and stacking machine including a reciprocable carriage and said automatic means including a plurality of tape feeding devices mounted on said carriage, and meansfor actuating said tape feeding devices at predetermined count intervals to feed predetermined lengths of tape and apply them to stack so that their ends extend beyond the boundaries of thestack.

2. In a mechanism of the type disclosed the combination with a sheet delivering and stacking machine, of automatic means to feed a count-signal onto the sheet stack at predetermined count intervals, said machine including a reciprocable carriage, means actuated by the movement each count interval.

3. In a mechanism of the type described, the combination yvitha sheet delivering and stacking machine to form a sheet stack including a frame and a sheet transferring and stacking carriage reciprocable thereon, of a tape feeding'de'vice mounted on said carriage for delivering a tape onto the stack, normally inactivev means actuated by movement of said' carriage for actuating said tape feeding device, means for counting the number of sheets delivered by said carriage, and means controlled .by said counting means for rendering said normally inactive actuating means active at predetermined count intervals.

4. In the combination of claim 3, saidnormally, inactive means including a drive shaft journal'ed'on said carriage and actuated in'a tape feeding direction on each return movement of the carriage, and a clutch mechanism actuated by said counting means for connecting said shaft to said feeding device.

5. In the combination of claim 3, a tape cutter and means actuated by said counting device to activate the cutter to sever the tape into desired lengths after deposit on the stack.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 23,641 Andren Apr. 14, 1953 1,611,476 Maxson Dec. 21, 1926 2,382,998 Kleinschmidt Aug. 21, 1945 2,570,306 Battersby Oct. 9, 1951 2,666,372 Laufier Jan. 19, 1954 

